No Smoking Day, as the name suggests, is to celebrate the efforts of those who are trying to quit the hazardous habit of smoking.
On this day, many NGOs and other organisations conduct events to raise awareness about the impact of smoking in daily life. Each year, the day is marked on the second Wednesday of March. This year, the day is falling on March 10.
The impact of smoking is such that it not only harms the person who is involved in the act, but also affects the health of those who are around him or her. On No Smoking Day 2021, we take a look at the influence of smoking on fertility and childbirth:
Smoking’s ill effects can reduce a man’s sperm count. This is because of the carcinogen present in a cigarette. Excessive smoking can also lead to other fertility problem. However, if a man quits smoking, then his sperm count can significantly improve in a span of three to six months.
If a woman smokes, it reduces her chances of pregnancy as the habit impacts her eggs and the uterus. Dr Apurva Satish Amarnath, Fertility Consultant had told news agency IANS that the chances of a successful in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and intrauterine insemination (IUI) pregnancy are reduced by half for women who are smokers. She also mentioned that if the woman quits, then her chances of fertility will increase over a period of time.
The risk of miscarriage and stillbirth are higher in case of women who have a history of smoking. According to Dr Sandeep Chadha, Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, a cigarette contains 4,000 harmful chemicals, which get directly passed to the unborn child through a mother’s bloodstream. This has a direct impact on the baby and often leads to things like, increased risk of low birth weight, breathing problem and premature delivery.